


Waking Up

by Freedom_Shamrock



Series: Aang Week 2015 [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang Week, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-14
Updated: 2016-11-14
Packaged: 2018-08-31 00:37:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8555797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freedom_Shamrock/pseuds/Freedom_Shamrock
Summary: Modern AU version of Aang waking up at the beginning of season 3, in a Northern Water Tribe hospital instead of on a Fire Nation ship.





	

The subtle beeping intruded on his consciousness first.  He felt he should be able to identify it, but was unalarmed when he couldn't.  Soon he became aware of the gentle whirring of equipment, the kind of white noise Katara liked when she was having trouble sleeping.  He slowly realized he was on his stomach, not his usual preference, and there was an unpleasantly sterile scent in the air.  His limbs felt heavy and didn't properly respond when he tried to roll over.

"Ungh."  He drew his arms under his chest to push himself up, but collapsed to the mattress with a gasp at the sharp all-consuming pain the action induced.  His whole world was reduced to the searing sensation in his back.  Eventually it faded to a more tolerable level. 

"K-tara?"  He coughed, his throat as dry as it had been in the Si Wong.  The clomp of rushing footsteps pushed its way through his fogged mind.  "K-tar-"  A coughing fit hijacked his lungs and left him whimpering in pain.  What had happened?  Where was he? Had he been captured by the fire nation again? He didn't feel in any shape to escape this time.           

"Don't try to move," a woman's voice whispered.  A hand touched the back of his head, but felt muffled, as if through fabric.  "Let me get you some water before you try talking again."  The tip of a plastic straw nudged at his lips and he tongued it into his mouth.  The water was cold, soothing.  Like the ice chips Katara made for him when he had a fever.  "You've been badly hurt, but you're safe."           

He spat the straw out.  "Where am I?"  He realized it would have been smarter to ask what she meant by 'badly hurt.'           

"You're at Kuruk Regional Hospital," she explained, her voice calm and professional.  "In the burn unit."           

Burn unit?  What was he doing in the burn unit?  He searched his memory and came up with a flash of blue. Then it all came back at once.  Azula and the Dai Li.  The crystal catacombs under Ba Sing Se.  Trying to let go of Katara so he could save her.  Katara.   
Oh spirits, what had happened to Katara?

He tried to get up, groaning through the fire in his back.           

"Stop moving!  You're not fit to be up."  A hand grabbed at his bare shoulder, but couldn't quite keep him down.          

"Katara," he muttered, tears springing into his eyes.  "Where's Katara?" he demanded, as he managed to lever himself to a sitting position, his legs dangling over the side of the bed.           

"She's fine," the woman assured him quickly, as she moved to stand in front of him, blocking his way.  She was an older Northern Watertribe healer.  As his eyes caught the insignia above her name badge, he tried to remember what he'd been told about healer rank.  He thought she was some sort of doctor, maybe a specialist.  "Your waterbending friend is fine.  She's exhausted, of course.  She's spent nearly every waking hour with you."

He closed his eyes and a sigh of relief slipped out.  Of course.  Who else would have been able to save him when hope was lost?  Though given what he remembered of the situation, he wondered how she'd done it on her own.  Together they'd been outmatched.  It was the only thing that could prompt him to pay the cost of controlling the avatar state.  Yet alone, she'd gotten them both out of there.  As his panic faded, awareness of his injury returned.  He trembled and felt sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"Where is she?" he asked, trying to master his pain with a different focus.  "Can I see her?"

"She's sleeping in the call room," the doctor explained.  Then she shrugged and smiled in a way that suggested she was sharing a secret.  "We're not technically supposed to let anyone in there who isn't a credentialed doctor, but she wasn't willing to leave you, and I authorized an exception."

He didn't like the idea of her being out of his sight, but it was preferred over her making herself sick because of him. "How long... how long have we been here?" He fumbled over the best way to phrase it.

The doctor patted his shoulder gently. "It's been nearly three weeks since your friends brought you here on the back of your bison."

He gasped. Three weeks? "How... Three weeks? Is that even possible?" He grabbed his head with both hands, only to get another shock. "I have hair?" He yanked at it until the doctor wrapped her hands around his, silently encouraging him to let go.

"Katara wouldn't let anyone near you with a razor, and she's been teo tired to do it herself."

"Is she okay?" His concern returned and he heard the beeping machine speed up, matching his heart rate.

"She's fine," the doctor reassured him with a smile. "Nothing a bit of sleep, and seeing you awake, won't fix." She hesitated, seeming to debate sharing more before adding, "She's an amazingly powerful healer.  Saved your life when fully trained physicians couldn’t have."

Aang smiled absently as he thought about his waterbending master and best friend.  "Yeah," he whispered.  "That's Katara."

"This doesn't surprise you?" the doctor asked.

He shook his head.  "When she sets her mind on something, she doesn't fail."  It suddenly took an unreasonable effort to stay upright.  He started to slouch, but that made his back hurt.

"Let me help you lie down," the doctor said, resting a hand lightly on his shoulder.  "You should rest.  Katara will be here when you wake next."

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: modern AU  
> Note: This was written as a part of a speed-writing exercise. I was permitted 30 minutes to write a complete story based off a prompt.


End file.
